A lot of children end up in the pediatric intensive care unit after being infected with the virus. It was determined that children under the age of 5 or those with asthma appear to be most at risk. The virus usually ends up appearing similar to a severe cold. Symptoms include coughing, difficulty breathing and rash and sometimes can be accompanied by fever or wheezing.
Mark Pallansch, a virologist and director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Viral Diseases appreciated that is expected an expand of this illness. “We’re in the middle of looking into this. We don’t have all the answers yet,” he said to the media. Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Kentucky states have contacted the CDC for assistance in investigating clusters of enterovirus. This type of enterovirus, called EV-D68, is however not new. It was identified in 1960s but only 100 cases were reported since that time. Vaccines aren’t currently available and no specific treatment exists. In many cases intensive supportive therapy is needed.
